Fun and games: the top 10 soft play centres in the UK

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Safe and warm: soft play centres are perfect for entertaining the kids on rainy days

23 August 2016 • 9:44am

Rachel Tierney

When the weather allows, it’s great to get out and about with your kids, but as we get into autumn, and colder, wetter days, there are plenty of safe yet exhilarating indoor options that promise similar benefits for your children.

Soft play areas are a fantastic secret weapon in any parent’s arsenal of activities to keep the kids (from toddlers to pre-teens) entertained, providing a safe and fun physical activity. Even better, this kind of active play has been proven to help children to develop better physical, social, mental and emotional skills. They can push their bodies to (safe) limits, and practise balancing, jumping and climbing without risk of serious injury should they misjudge something. Best of all - there’s usually a nice café for mum or dad to relax and watch from the sidelines.

If your kids love an active, rough-and-tumble lifestyle, Gap’s new updated Superdenim range has them covered. It’s the most comfortable, softest and stretchiest yet - perfect for sliding, scrambling up a rope wall, or jumping in a ball pit. Featuring durable, long-lasting fabric technology, Superdenim provides the perfect balance between comfort and functionality in a range of styles, from babies to kids, boys and girls.

Dungarees are a practical option for younger children – and in Gap’s supersoft fabric they’re better than ever for the toughest soft play challenges. We love the fashionable floral patch on these high stretch denim overalls.

For babies, these super soft joggers in a mess-friendly indigo blue are just the ticket for wriggling around in the ball pool or practising cruising moves.

1969 supersoft denim joggers, £19.95

Once you’ve got them kitted out, it’s time to head out for an adventure. Here’s our edit of the Top 10 most exciting soft play areas across the UK.

Day out: Lemur Landings is a huge soft play for under 12s in Dorset

1. Lemur Landings Poole, Dorset
More than just a play frame, Lemur Landings features a multi-slide, tunnels, ball pools and cannons, plus a super sensory area for the under-fives.

2. Prendoolys Play Centre, Earlestown, Merseyside
A 12,000sq ft play centre designed to cater for the whole family, with everything from a giant ball pool to a ‘spooky room’, plus a café stocked full of healthy, fun food.

3. New Adventure Lands, Newcastle
A huge adventure play area with different age-related zones, New Adventure Lands also contains extra fun facilities such as an extra sports area, racing track, even a mini climbing wall.

4. Marvin Gaye Chetwynd’s The Idol, Barking, Greater London
Turner-prize nominated artist Marvin Gaye Chetwynd created a very hands-on piece of work in The Idol, a 21,000 square metre soft play centre in the shape of a giant cyborg. It’s a two-storey monochrome play paradise for kids of all ages featuring multiple chambers, ramps and a pair of giant eyes for children to peer out of.

Dress up: imaginary and creative fun is at the heart of 360 Play

5. 360 Play, Various locations
A mini-chain with branches in Leicester, Stevenage, Basildon and Milton Keynes, all featuring action-packed soft play areas for 4-12-year olds with everything from giant wave sides to aerial gliders.

6. Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play, Esplanade, Ayr, Scotland
One of Scotland’s biggest adventure play areas, Pirate Pete’s features a swashbuckling selection of four levels of slopes and slides, ball lagoons and a treasure trove of adventure-packed areas, plus a dedicated toddler zone.

7. Pandamonium Play Centre, Erskine, Scotland
A huge, panda-themed play centre with a toddler area plus trampoline area and football - there’s even a beauty salon for a quick trim for mum.

8. Parents Paradise, Watford
A surefire hit for the whole family, with everything from play frames, go karting, baby and toddler area and a mini shooting gallery plus great coffee and newspapers for mums and dads.

9. Bramley’s Big Adventure, North Kensington, London
A giant three-level climbing frame, swings, dens and a toddler and baby area, plus no time limit on sessions on school days and free wi-fi for parents.

Larger than life: Bubbles' World of Play is the biggest and best indoor soft play centre

10. Bubbles' World of Play, Wallasey, Liverpool
One of the UK’s biggest, with five levels of fun and games plus oodles of individually themed zones, from dinosaurs to countries and places in the world.